


a long way from the playground.

by rapunzels



Category: Dawson's Creek
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Multi, what pacey fucking deserved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:15:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27815923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rapunzels/pseuds/rapunzels
Summary: “Hey, before I forget, are you doing anything tonight?” she asks while playing with one of his fingers hanging over her left shoulder.“Not that I’m aware,” he answers, eyes turning to meet hers. “Why? You got something in mind?”“Well, Jack and Jen were thinking about hanging out by the docks later tonight, and I thought that since I desperately failed you last night ---”“Jo, you didn’t fail me ---”“I thought ---” she cuts him off and he shakes his head with a defeated smile. “--- that you deserve a nice night with some friends to make up for it.” Joey flashes her most sincere smile, eyes begging.And what was he gonna do? Say no?//a fic that takes place the day after pacey's 18th birthday in 4x12 because he deserved friends and laughter and nice presents and just. a good fucking birthday oh my god do i have to do everything myself
Relationships: Jack McPhee/Pacey Witter, Jen Lindley/Pacey Witter, Joey Potter/Pacey Witter
Comments: 10
Kudos: 37





	a long way from the playground.

**Author's Note:**

> this is dedicated to shan because they watched 4x12 with me and felt the same pain and rage that put me over the edge to write this <3 she also helped with little things and read snippets and kept me encouraged through the long hours of the night and i love them 
> 
> anyways pacey witter i love you and this is what you deserved i'm sorry the writers sucked but fear not i am here with fluff and goodness
> 
> the title is from 18 by one direction i'm not even sorry
> 
> minor spoilers for 4x12 and such
> 
> tw: mention of alcohol

Hands suddenly clasp over his eyes, fingertips still freezing from the cold outside. It’s not long before he hears a suppressed giggle, and his body instantly softens, mouth forming into a cheesy smile.

“Now, Jen, I thought we agreed to keep the fun in the bedroom,” he teases easily. He hears Joey gasp somewhat dramatically, her hands quickly moving to allow his eyes to see again --- before she uses them to slap his back. 

“Lindley, what did I just sa--” Pacey cuts himself off and feigns surprise as he catches his girlfriend’s eyes, really dedicating himself to the bit. “Oh, Jo, hey!”

“Ha ha, you’re so funny, Pace,” she says in her usual mocking tone and narrowing eyes, giving him one more smack for good measure (to which he winces somewhat dramatically to again). She tries to cross her arms to be mad at him for even joking about such a thing, but then he chuckles and suddenly his hands are on her face, bringing her lips to his. And it’s so hard to be mad when she can feel his smile, and how is she supposed to stop her mouth from doing the same, from her hands reaching for his hips to pull him closer? It’s magnetic, almost second nature now to them both. 

“Hi,” Pacey says softly enough so only she can hear, and he practically melts when she throws him one of her gentle little smiles, eyes still closed to take him in.

“Hi,” Joey answers just as quietly before pulling him in for another kiss. After a last long peck Pacey pulls away, his hand moving from Joey’s cheek to find a hand he can clasp in his. 

“So, how’s my favorite 18-year-old today?” Joey asks as she leads them to her locker. “Feeling any different?”

Pacey chuckles, resting his shoulder on the lockers as Joey gets her things ready for her first period. “Oh, I didn’t tell you? Last night as I was going to bed, I found a present from the Adult Fairy under my pillow.” Joey raises her eyebrows jokingly, following along without question. “Oh yeah,” he continues with faux excitement. “I got a lottery ticket, a pack of cigarettes, and, of course, a nice little set of bills. Gas  _ and  _ water.”

“Wow, I can’t wait until _my_ birthday comes along, then,” Joey replies with a shake of her head, always surprised at how easily Pacey comes up with the most ridiculous things on the spot. She closes her locker and grabs his hand again, this time maneuvering it so it could drape around her shoulders. They still had a few minutes before the bell would ring, so she slowed her pace and he followed suit effortlessly. “Hey, before I forget, are you doing anything tonight?” she asks while playing with one of his fingers hanging over her left shoulder. 

“Not that I’m aware,” he answers, eyes turning to meet hers. “Why? You got something in mind?”

“Well, Jack and Jen were thinking about hanging out by the docks later tonight, and I thought that since I  _ desperately _ failed you last night ---”

“Jo, you didn’t fail me ---”

“ _ I thought _ \---” she cuts him off and he shakes his head with a defeated smile. “--- that you deserve a nice night with some friends to make up for it.” Joey flashes her most sincere smile, eyes begging. 

And what was he gonna do? Say no?

“Sure. Of course,” Pacey gives in, almost way too easily. Joey’s smile widens to that big full smile he loves, and he can’t help but use his arm to bring her closer, planting a kiss on the side of her forehead. 

“Okay, I think they said to be there around six? Jack is bringing snacks, Jen is drinks, and I’m bringing the blankets --- but don’t tell Bessie, because they’re supposed to be for ' valued guests' only.”

“And what am _I_ bringing?”

“Just your lovely personality and sarcastic remarks,” Joey answers, placing a kiss on his cheek as the bell finally rings and their peers start scurrying away to their designated rooms. Pacey sighs as always, already dreading the school day ahead. “See you at lunch?” Joey asks, and he nods before kissing her goodbye and watching her walk into her History class. He stuffs his hands into his pockets and makes his way to English, trying hard not to look too sulky. 

At least he had something to look forward to now. 

* * *

Class is slow and boring as always, and Pacey can’t stop thinking about the night before to even begin trying to concentrate. The rejection letter keeps him staring out windows, and even though it ended up being a _not-as-awful-as-being-mauled-by-a-dog-bad_ birthday, he still couldn’t help replaying everything his family had said last night. Plus, he still hadn’t talked to Gretchen about the whole Dawson thing, and the aforementioned former best friend avoids eye contact with him in any class they share. Even at lunch with everyone, Pacey has to force smiles through bites of his sandwich, trying hard to listen as Jen updates them all on Grams’ love life, or tries to convince Jack to give this gay club dude another chance. 

He knows Joey can tell something is still bothering him by the amount of times she places a kiss on his arm, or how tightly she clutches his hand as he walks her to her class once lunch is over. She says he should meet her at 5:45 at the B&B so that they can walk to the docks together --- after he helps her distract Bessie long enough to steal the blankets, of course. “And Pace?” Joey adds, stopping him before they reach the classroom door. He raises his brows in response, a little tired from all the socializing he just had to do, and not being able to hide anything from her no matter how hard he tries. “I love you,” Joey reminds him, eyes still holding the same amount of sorry that they did the night before out on his porch. Pacey softens instantly, hands moving to her hips to bring her closer. 

“I love you too, Potter,” he says before kissing her gently, genuinely thankful for her softness with him. He doesn’t find that anywhere else. 

* * *

At 5:44 he turns the handle on the Potter’s B&B, feet instinctively taking him to Joey’s room without a second thought. It’s not hard for Joey to distract her sister long enough for Pacey to grab four blankets from their storage room and sneak them into his backpack. The weather is still chilly and he can see his breath in the air anytime he breathes out, but it’s hard to complain when it makes Joey cling to his arm as they walk, as close as possible to him for extra warmth. 

“I meant what I said last night, you know,” she says, breaking their comfortable silence. “This one rejection really isn’t that big of a deal, Pace. We still have some more schools to hear back from, and even if you don’t get into any of them --- which won’t be a problem, because you  _ will _ \--- then we’ll figure something else out. A lot of people take a year off these days, and I know this might sound out of character for me to say, but school isn’t everything. I mean, it doesn’t have to be, not for you. We can find something else and we can make it work, just like we always do.” She finally takes a breath, squeezing his bicep fondly as she throws him an encouraging smile. 

“I know, I know,” Pacey answers with a sigh. “My dad actually said the same thing to me last night, surprisingly.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yep. Told me he doesn’t think school has ever been right for me,” he recounts, still reeling a bit from the first positive interaction he had had with his father in months. “I can’t say the man doesn’t have a point.”

Joey just nods, taking in his words. She can’t pretend it doesn’t make sense, either. Pacey had never fit the mold that the school system tried to squeeze him into. 

“I don’t know, Jo. It’s too early for me to be thinking about any of this, really,” Pacey says, not wanting to get himself into a mindset that could ruin a nice evening with his friends. “Let’s just focus on getting me to graduate first, alright?” 

“Okay,” Joey responds softly, letting the subject be dropped like she could tell he wanted. She instead catches him up with the new guests at the B&B, telling him about a couple who got in last night with a strangely particular need for loud rainforest noises to play in their room in order to sleep. “I was annoyed at first, but I actually slept like a baby. Maybe they’re onto something.”

“I’ll make sure to try that out tonight,” her boyfriend says with a chuckle. 

They get to the dock right on time, and Jen and Jack follow close behind to help them secure a nice spot on the frozen grass to sit on. Jack tosses them a couple bags of chips and Jen brings out hot chocolate that Grams prepared once she heard of the outing. The cup is a welcomed warmth in Joey’s hands, and she has to fight the urge to gulp it down in order to save her tongue from a bad burning. 

“And, as a surprise…” Jen says triumphantly as she reaches into her bag.

“Oh no,” Jack is quick to reply before grabbing a blanket from Pacey and wrapping it around his broad shoulders. “A Jen Lindley surprise is always dangerous.”

“Shut up, you love me,” the blonde retorts back with a smile. “Ta da!” she exclaims as she pulls out a --- they should have known --- bottle of alcohol. “Before you guys get all judgy and scared, it’s just Bailey’s,” Jen is quick to defend as she unscrews the cap and pours some into her cup. “Plus, we all walked here tonight, and I promise to keep the indulgence to a safe minimum. I just thought we could all use a little pick me up.”

“How do you even get these, Lindley?” Pacey asks as he places a blanket around Joey’s shoulders gently before taking a seat next to her. 

“A girl never kisses and tells, Witter,” Jen replies with a wink. “So?” Her eyebrows shoot up at Jack, daring him to trust her. 

With a sigh, Jack cracks easily. “Why not,” he says with a shrug. Jen smiles proudly as she pours some into his cup, then turns around to face Pacey with the same look of promised fun.

“What do you say, birthday boy? You’re old enough to enjoy some of this now, aren’t you?” 

After the night he had prior? “Fill me up,” he says with a smile.

Joey tries not to judge as she watches Jen pour a little more into her boyfriend’s cup than she probably meant to. And then she tries not to be uncomfortable once Jen’s eyes finally land on her. “Sure,” Joey says, giving in and not wanting to be the odd one out. “But just a little. If Bessie catches even a whiff of alcohol on me, I will not hear the end of it for a whole year.”

“Don’t worry, I brought gum,” her blonde friend assures her, capping her off before taking her place in their little circle. Joey blows on her drink, hoping to cool it down. 

“So, welcome to the eighteen club, Pacey,” Jack says after an attempted sip of his cup. “Have you done anything wild yet?”

“Like what, Jackers?”

Jack gives Pacey a look for the nickname usage, but continues. “You could legally buy some spray paint now. Or get a tattoo.”

Jen’s face instantly brightens at the idea. “Oh my god, Pace, we _need_ to get you a tattoo. What do you say? A nice mermaid on your bicep?”

“Or you could do the classic “J + P” inside a heart,” Jack suggests, smiling over at Joey --- to which she responds by sticking out her tongue at him. 

“Very good suggestions, guys, keep them coming,” Pacey encourages, wrapping his blanket around him tighter. “Clearly that alcohol works fast, huh?”

“Ooh, you could be fancy and go for an inspiring quote in another language,” Jen offers, barely registering Pacey’s comment. 

“Wait, I have it,” Joey announces with a big smile. “You should get 'True Love' in big bold letters, in order to keep her memory alive with you forever.”

Pacey’s head turns quickly to find her eyes. “Now  _ why _ would you bring her up right now? You know I’m still in mourning,” he says, half-faking hurt that Joey chuckles to. 

“Aw, sweetheart,” Joey replies with a pout. “You know I miss her, too. I can get the tattoo with you if you want. That way she’ll live on through us both,” she offers before placing a kiss on his lips, sloppy at first because she can’t stop smiling.

“Now  _ that  _ sounds like a plan,” Pacey says as he kisses her back, hand on the back of her head to deepen it.

“Alright, lovebirds, save it for the bedroom, okay?” Jen teases, tossing a twig their way that fails to hit anywhere close to their faces. Joey kisses her boyfriend one more time for good measure, scrunching her nose as she pulls away to finally take a sip of her drink. She can’t taste the alcohol at all, and she’s not sure whether that’s a good or bad thing. 

“By the way, Pace,” Jen says as she wordlessly hands Jack her cup for him to hold while she goes looking into her bag. “I’m sorry I wasn’t really there last night.”

“Don’t even worry about it, I know you had your community hours to do.”

“Well, still. I wanted to bring you something to show you that… Well, that I don’t hate you.” By the way Jen says it, Joey can tell the words have a secret meaning to them. “Not even a little bit. Not even at  _ all _ ,” the blonde finishes with a wide smile, finally pulling something out of her bag and extending it to Pacey with endearing excitement. 

Pacey instantly knows what it is, and he can’t help but laugh as his hands wrap around a DVD copy of  _ 10 Things I Hate About You _ . “Lindley, you really shouldn’t have,” he says, hoping the sarcasm would hide just how incredibly touched he really was. A few months ago he and Jen were bored on a Wednesday night when all their other friends seemed to have preestablished plans, so they decided to rent out the corniest romcom they could find at the Video Store after Pacey’s shift ended. They brought it over to Jen’s house, fully ready to just laugh and make fun of the movie all the way through --- little did they know that about an hour and twenty minutes later they would both be crying to Julia Stiles professing her love to Heath Ledger. Both of them swore to never tell another soul of that night, but they secretly made references to the movie all the time, knowing the rest of the group wouldn’t catch on. It had kind of become their own private thing, and he didn’t know how much it made him feel special and loved until that moment. 

“Now, I know it’s not me singing ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You’ in front of the whole school, but… Well, I’m saving that for someday real special,” Jen teases with a wink. Pacey laughs with a shake of his head, placing the DVD safely into his backpack. 

“I can’t wait,” he says as he gets up to give her a tight hug. “Thank you, Jen.”

“You’re so welcome, Pace,” she replies as she squeezes him back. “Happy birthday, buddy.”

“Well, I have no idea what  _ that _ was,” Jack jokes once Pacey and Jen pull apart, both sporting adorable matching grins. “But  _ I _ got you something, too.” Jack switches off with the blonde, letting her hang onto both drinks as he pulls out two copies of a colorful comic book from his own backpack. “I remembered you telling me you used to read Spider-Man comics all the time when you were a kid, so I thought maybe you’d like to see what he’s been up to nowadays.” He hands the copies over to Pacey, to which he holds gently, almost as if he’s scared of ruining them already. 

“Wow, Jackers,” Pacey says, never letting go of that nickname. “I’m so touched. I can’t believe you even remembered that.” He really couldn’t. He had mentioned that to Jack in passing probably a year ago, so he couldn’t stop his smile from widening at the thought of someone caring about him this much. God, his cheeks hurt. Why were his friend so  _ nice _ to him? “Are you trying to tell me something here?” Pacey jokes, not being able to help himself. “Because, just say the word and I will run away with you to Sappho’s Island anytime,” he teases with a wink.

Jack actually laughs, shaking his head as he places a hand on Pacey’s shoulder. “Not to crush your spirits, Pace, but I would really rather not run away with a guy who once dated my sister.”

“You know what, fair enough,” Pacey replies with a nod before carefully flipping through a couple pages. He hadn’t held one of these in his hands in years, and it brought back so many memories --- of being a little boy who believed he could do great things just like this someday. Honestly, Pacey had to fight real hard to keep his eyes dry. “Hey, thanks, man. Seriously. This is awesome.”

“Don’t even mention it.” They hug the way men do, with loud pats of support on their backs. Pacey has to take a deep breath after sitting back down to regain himself. He’s not really used to such a show of affection for him --- his insides are so warm and fuzzy he barely even needs the blanket anymore. 

Joey is beaming beside him, silently mouthing thank you to Jen and Jack for helping her bring the light back into her favorite person in the world. 

* * *

They get just the right amount of tipsy, where everyone is chatty and giggly but not sloppy. Jack ended up bringing a deck of cards and the four of them spend hours playing whatever games come to mind where there’s no real stakes on the line, but they can still get competitive for the sake of dramatics. The sun goes down and the night gets colder, but they barely notice between the blankets, hot cocoa, and alcohol buzz. 

Unfortunately the night can’t last forever, and soon enough they’re packing up and hugging each other goodbye. He thanks Jen and Jack for the presents once again, and they wave him off with big smiles, just thankful that they were all able to spend the night together. Jen and Jack cling to each other as they wave goodbye and set off, and Pacey’s arm drapes easily around Joey’s shoulders as they walk the other way. 

“Good night, hey?” Joey asks teasingly, her hands rubbing together for warmth. 

“You know it,” Pacey answers with a smile, bringing her forehead to his lips for a kiss. “Thanks for orchestrating it.”

“What? I did no such thing!” she exclaims fakely, not being able to keep down the triumphant grin that forms at his words. 

With a chuckle, Pacey stops in his tracks, arms around her waist as he hugs her closer. “Damn, Potter, do I love you,” he says cheesily, placing a soft kiss on her nose before finding her mouth. 

Joey kisses him back sweetly, arms wrapping over his shoulders. “You better,” she jokes with a giggle before her face does a cute little scrunch that usually means she’s up to something. And lo and behold, she says: “Because our night isn’t over yet.”

His eyebrows shoot up in surprise, his hands now tucked into her back pockets (for warmth and no other reason). “Oh? What else could possibly be in store?” 

“I guess you’ll see.” Joey gives him a devilish smile before her hand finds his.

He follows her blindly. He’d follow her anywhere. 

* * *

“The last time you covered my eyes and took me to a surprise location didn’t exactly end too well,” Pacey teases as he makes sure he doesn’t tumble over his own two feet as Joey’s hand tugs him along the right path. 

“Don’t you trust that I’ve learned my lesson?” she asks, finally gently planting him in place at her desired location. With a deep breath, her hands reach for the blindfold and she carefully reveals the surprise she had been planning all morning. 

Pacey blinks a few times to adjust his vision, and then his eyes finally open to see a dock --  _ their _ dock, the one that Joey confessed her love to him and they agreed to sail away together for the summer on. It was decorated with candles, a blanket, and a small container he knew was filled with snacks. He stands there for a second, a little speechless, and he can see Joey grinning from the corner of his eye. God, this woman. 

“Now, I’m sorry I’m not in Victoria’s Secret lingerie, but you’ll forgive me if I didn’t want to freeze to death just to please your sexual fantasies,” she teases as she leads him towards the scene. “However, I managed the candles, the dock, and I have some chocolate covered strawberries and leftover cake to feed right into your mouth --- but that is a one-time deal, mister. Don’t get too used to it.” They stop at the center of it all, arms wrapped around each other.

“Well, goddamn, Potter. You sure know how to please a guy,” Pacey finally says, his cheesy grin making Joey’s stomach flutter like it always did whenever she managed to get it out of him. He places a soft kiss on her lips before resting his forehead on hers, eyes closed to breathe her in. 

“I try,” she says with a giggle. “I really am sorry about last night.” 

“None of it was your fault,” he’s quick to say, arms hugging around her. “It’s the curse.”

“Right. Do you think we can find a witch or something to get that curse off of you?”

“You don’t think I’ve tried?” Pacey responds, and she knows he’s not even kidding, which only makes her laugh. She hugs him tight, squeezing every ounce of love she has for him into it. She knows he needs it. 

They pull away and smile at each other, smiles they’ve seen a million times but can never get enough of. They’ve changed each other and grown together, all in such little time. Sometimes he can’t believe just how lucky he is that she picked him. 

“Well, the day _after_ was pretty nice, though, right? Maybe it evens it out and now you’re curse-free forever,” Joey offers innocently, her big doe eyes wishfully looking at him. 

He squeezes her cheeks, not being able to take her cuteness, before pulling her in for another quick peck. “We’re just gonna have to wait ‘till next year and see, won’t we?”

“I guess so,” she agrees with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Thank you for this,” Pacey whispers, using his hands to bring her face close enough for their noses to touch. 

“I love you,” Joey reminds him once again, never tiring herself of saying it.

“I love you, too.” He kisses her forehead gently, then takes a step back to offer his hand to her with a smile. “Shall we, miss?”

Joey grins, placing her hand in his with a curtsy. “We shall.”

He kisses her knuckles before they take a seat together, with Pacey instantly reaching for the container with the leftover cake. As he opens it and hands it over to his girlfriend so she can sexily feed it to him, Pacey can’t keep himself from asking.

“So, is the Victoria’s Secret lingerie  _ completely _ off the table?”

She narrows her eyes at him before wiping some frosting onto his nose. 

“Shut up and eat your cake, Pace.”


End file.
